Police schedule DUI checkpoint

Angelique Flores

The Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach police departments will set up a

sobriety checkpoint on Warner Avenue at Magnolia Street starting at 10

p.m. Friday and lasting until 3 a.m. Saturday.

The two departments are cracking down this holiday season in an effort to

prevent drunk driving, which is more prevalent this time of year,

authorities said.

“More drivers are out there, and there are more parties where people will

drink,” said Sgt. Kevin McKeown, traffic supervisor at the Fountain

Valley Police Department.

Officers will check for impaired drivers, proper driver’s license

identification and underage drinking. Authorities said they hope people

will be discouraged from drinking and driving if they know police are on

the lookout.

Communities that consistently use checkpoints have experienced reductions

in drunk driving arrests that are as much as eight times greater than

communities that depend on roving patrols, according to Mothers Against

Drunk Driving statistics.

“Our goal is not to make arrests, but if we make one arrest, that arrest

may save someone’s life,” McKeown said.

Project PATH -- which stands for Positive Action Toward Health, an

organization aimed at drug and alcohol prevention -- will sponsor local

student participation at the checkpoint.

Before the checkpoint opens, officers will meet with 15 high school and

middle school students to teach them what a checkpoint is. The students

will be able to watch from a safe distance what occurs during a sobriety

checkpoint.

“We hope that what they learn will be put in the back of their heads,”

said Lourdes Gutierrez, prevention specialist from Project PATH.

Sgt. Craig Bryant of the Huntington Beach Police Department said teens

already are getting the message about the laws on zero tolerance and

drunk driving.

“Many young folks are not drinking, or they have a designated driver,”

Bryant said.

Those caught driving under the influence could be cited, arrested and

risk having their cars towed. In Huntington Beach, impaired drivers are

automatically arrested.

“Among the dangers of driving under the influence is the tremendous

chance of killing somebody or being killed,” McKeown said.

Through the New Year, police from both cities will continue with a

special patrol aimed at cracking down on drunk drivers.